Stop this insanity
by TheSovereigntyofReality
Summary: Set during A Clue: No. Robin's little sister returns to Nottingham after being presumed dead and brings a resourceful new ally. Robin/Marian. I claim no ownership to any cannon characters.
1. Penny's return

**Chapter 1: Penny's return**

'Master!' Much yelled as he came into the cave. 'Penny's coming!'

Robin twisted around and Marian raised her head, both looking at Much in disbelief.

'Are you sure?' Robin asked.

'Yes, it's definitely her,' Much agreed. 'And she's coming with a redhead woman. And they're headed right to the cave.'

'Well, let them in, then!' Robin responded as if it was obvious.

Much turned and ran out of the cave.

'I thought Penny was dead,' Marian murmured.

Robin turned back to her. 'Do you know what happened?'

He was painfully aware than she shouldn't strain herself. Dqac had said not to let her sleep. Also, he wanted to know what happened to his little sister for people to assume she was dead.

'Not really,' Marian answered. 'My father found the bodies of your father and your brothers. He said somebody had obviously purposely set out to kill them. He never found Penny, though. We thought she may have walked in as they were being killed and run off, only to be caught and killed and have her body disposed of someway.'

'No, I'm still alive.'

They both turned again. It was Penny all right. Same green eyes and golden blonde hair decorated with a headband. She still looked like hers and Robin's mother and she still wore all of Lady Catherine of Loxley's jewellery in remembrance. Penny's eyes were drawn to the dressing over Marian's belly.

'What happened to you?' she asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

'Five says Gisborne stabbed 'er,' the blue-eyed redheaded with Penny remarked in a Scottish accent.

'He did,' Much said. 'How did you know that?'

'How does Myra know anything?' Penny asked rhetorically.

Robin assumed that this girl—Myra—was often right. 'So, what happened to you?' he asked his sister.

'You were right about me walking in on our father's and brothers' murders and running away,' Penny explained, strolling over. 'But I actually got away. Myra thinks it's mostly because my rational mind shut down.'

'Sensory overload,' Dqac stated. 'I have heard of it. If your mind takes the time to process what you have perceived, you will be placed in a fatal situation, so the mind shuts down and the body runs entirely on primitive instincts.'

'This is what saved 'er life,' Myra added.

'My rational mind didn't start to kick back in until I'd gotten up to Northern Scotland,' Penny explained. 'I collapsed outside of Wick. That's where Myra found me. She took care of me and, in the time while I was recovering, she found out exactly who I was and what happened to me.'

'How did she when we couldn't?' Marian asked.

'Information is easy tae find, if ye know where tae look,' Myra answered.

'For some reason, she always does,' Penny responded. 'You know, it took her less than an hour to find out my brother is Robin Hood.'

'From Wick?' Little John asked.

'Oh, yes,' Penny agreed. 'We decided to come down after that.'

'Gisborne's forcing you to marry him?' Penny asked Marian, her eyes flickering to her brother. 'Two questions: how and why?'

'My father will be killed if I don't,' Marian told her.

Penny sat down and dropped her head. 'What a pig-swilling, bile-throated scat heap. He should've stayed in France.'

Robin looked over at his sister. 'France? You know where Gisborne comes from?'

Penny shrugged. 'When we decided to come back, I realised I'd have to face Gisborne again. So, I wanted to know about him. I asked Myra to find me information on him so I knew what I was up against.'

'What did you find out?' Robin asked.

'His father, ironically enough, was a British Crusader,' Penny answered. 'But when he returned to England, he spent a lot of time in his home. It turned out he'd picked up leprosy.'

Robin and Marian looked at each other.

'So?' Marian asked. 'He got found out and cast out?'

'At first,' Penny agreed. 'But then he returned. He went to see his wife and Guy burnt the building down, killing them both in the process.'

'Wait, he killed _both_ of his parents?' Robin asked incredulously.

'Yes,' Penny answered. 'As well as the new Lord of the town. Because of that both he and his sister were sent to France in shame.'

'Sister?' Marian asked. 'He said he didn't have any family.'

'He lied,' Penny responded. 'He has a sister called Isabella. But he doesn't acknowledge her anymore. He saw her as a burden so he sold her as a wife to the first man who offered a decent price.'

'How old was she?' Marian asked.

'Thirteen,' Penny answered.

Marian rested her head back and Robin sighed in suppressed disgust.

'Penny!' Dqac yelled as Robin ran out to get the physician. 'Come over here! I need an extra set of hands!'

Penny shot over and took her brother's place at Marian's side.

'Help Much!' Dqac commanded. 'That needs more pressure!'

Penny applied the pressure where it was necessary.

_Oh, please God!_ She silently prayed. _Do not let her die! Robin loves her too much to handle it!_

'Move back!' Pitts yelled as he moved forward to work on Marian.

Penny jumped back. She stepped back to Myra. Penny never knew why, but she'd always had an instinct about people that usually warned her if they were dangerous. Apparently she'd gotten it from her mother. The only person outside of her immediate family who knew about it was Marian. And, right now, it was screaming at her that Pitts was dangerous. But he was a trained physician. Maybe Marian's only hope.

All the same she subtly caught Robin's eye—which she'd been sure she wouldn't be able to do—and inclined her head at Pitts, letting him know he was activating that hereditary instinct. He nodded and his eyes narrowed in on Pitts suspiciously.

Then he seemed to come to a decision. He subtly and wordlessly told her to keep an eye on Pitts and Penny knew he was going to look around outside to see if Pitts had done anything to double-cross them. Penny nodded her agreement.


	2. Marian's death

**Chapter 2: Marian's death**

Pitts smiled self-confidently as he strode over to Robin and stopped next to him. 'Your friend is dead.'

Robin felt his heart freeze to a block of ice.

'Dead?' Much gasped.

Pitts nodded, a little too cocky, and moved to parade out of the cave. But Little John lifted his staff and stopped him cold. Robin was barely aware of Penny moving around Little John and in front of Pitts. He suddenly had to see Marian. He quickly went over to find Dqac staring down at Marian's still, pale and limp form. Dqac turned around, tears in her eyes.

'Robin…' she murmured. 'I'm sorry.'

She moved off to join the others.

'I hate it when I'm right,' Penny stated, as she came in front of Pitts. 'My brother may just kill you. What did you do to her?'

She pulled out a dagger and held it at his throat. Little John lowered the staff. He could obviously tell Penny had no qualms with using that dagger.

'Nothing,' Pitts answered, seeming unnerved by her reference to Robin as her "brother". 'Is it my fault a woman's body is weak?'

Penny scoffed. By now Little John had moved to the side, Dqac and Much had their swords out and Myra had her mace out. The gang had formed a circle around Pitts, all of them ready to use their weapons on him. Penny glared at the physician.

'Marian is not a stereotypical woman, Pitts,' Penny stated coldly. 'She is a very strong woman and you murdered her, I am certain. Myra?'

'Prob'ly too much hemlock,' Myra said. 'What do you think, Dqac?'

Dqac nodded. Penny knew Dqac had seen everything that Pitts did to Marian. She would know if he did something he shouldn't have done. Her father had likely taught her what he knew about medicine so she'd know for absolute certain if he'd done something wrong.

Pitts had purposely killed the woman Penny had already seen as a sister. For that, Penny had little doubt that he would die. If not by her hand, then by her brother's hand. Myra had told her about Robin's recent aversion to killing but Penny knew how her brother felt about Marian. He would kill again because of this.

_May God have mercy on your soul, physician. _Penny thought bitterly.

Robin crossed over to Marian, his heart feeling like cold stone. He knelt down by her side, where he had knelt and told her he regretted going and loosing her hours before.

'Marian…' He felt himself starting to sob as he cupped her face. 'Marian…I love you…I love you.' He sobbed more and fought to compose himself. 'I never said. Why did I not say? Marian…I…I love you.'

He leaned down and kissed her, pouring all of his pent-up love and all his grief onto her cold, still lips. When he pulled away he just needed to cry. And he did. He folded his arms over her torso and cried over her body.

'When you called Robin Hood your brother, what did you mean?' Pitts asked nervously.

'As I said,' Penny answered, the dagger pressed harder against his throat. 'He is my older brother. I am, as I was called at birth, Penelope of Loxley. But since my brother became an outlaw I call myself Penny Hood. Robin Hood and I share blood, Pitts. And your master killed our father and brothers. That is what I meant when I called him my brother.'

'Robin Hood has no taste for killing,' Pitts stated. 'If you share blood, as you say, then neither will you.'

'Keep dreaming, Pitts.' Penny scoffed. 'Robin Hood's distaste for killing was born in the Holy Lands. I myself have never been to the Holy Lands. I have no such problem with it. Furthermore, you killed Marian. That itself will cure my brother of his distaste for killing. Temporarily, if not permanently.'

Pitts licked his lips nervously. 'What are you going to do with me?'

Penny smirked. 'I don't know. We might kill you or we might let the Sheriff kill you. See, you know the truth. You're a liability to them.'

'I could tell him who the Nightwatchman is,' Pitts retorted.

'Was.' Penny's eyes and voice turned hard and cold. 'You and Gisborne killed her, remember? Anyway, that would only preserve you for a few minutes, if that. Once you give the information, he will kill you.'

'Robin!' the irritatingly familiar voice sing-songed from outside.

'Speak of the devil and he will appear,' Penny remarked. 'Myra, Dqac, keep the physician at blade's edge, will you? John, Much, with me. We're going to stall them.'

Everyone understood that Robin was too distraught to be their leader there and then, so the mantle fell to his baby sister.

'Robin!' Robin heard the Sheriff call in a sing-song voice. 'Robin! Come out, come out, wherever you are!'

He raised his head. If the Sheriff was here, so was Gisborne. _The murderous scum that killed Marian. _His overwhelming grief turned to overwhelming anger.

He listened to his sister taking his role for the moment, coming up with a plan and working to keep them busy for a while. He knew why too. His sister knew him as well as he knew her.

The anger was so intense, all he could do was stare harshly at the wall.

She knew it. She knew he'd need time before he moved. And she knew what he would do when he did move.


	3. Anger and blood

**Chapter 3: Anger and blood**

'You're getting slack, my friend!' Penny heard the Sheriff call to Robin. 'Could you have made it easier for me? Hm? If you took me by the hand and led me to your little hidey-hole. A clue: no.'

'Allan,' Much muttered as he, Little John and Penny prepared themselves. 'Where are Allan and Will?'

Penny, as it turned out, had her own bow and she had strapped a quiver of arrows to her back.

'More of the gang?' Penny asked, from where she laid on the boulder that Much was taking cover behind, invisible to the Sheriff, Gisborne and their men.

'Yeah,' Little John agreed.

'Robin, what do we do with him?' Dqac asked, 'If he dies, we have nothing against Gisborne.'

Robin knelt by Marian's side, staring at the wall. He didn't answer. His rage was still building. And his mind plotted the ways to make Gisbourne pay for what he had done.

'Now.'

Little John and Penny stood up and Much stepped out from behind the boulder. Penny and Much drew their bows and arrows.

'Stand!' Much yelled.

'Oo,' the Sheriff remarked as they all stopped and looked at them.

Gisborne's eyes were instantly drawn to Penny's face as he recognised her.

'Stand or we shoot!' Much yelled.

'There are three of you!' the Sheriff called to them after glancing around and seeing no one else.

'Last warning!' Much yelled.

'How many do you think there are, Gisborne?' the Sheriff asked.

'A dozen or so at the most,' Gisborne answered.

'Ah.' The Sheriff laughed.

'Of the inner circle,' he added.

'And how many of the outer circle?' the Sheriff asked.

'I don't know,' Gisborne answered, temporarily tearing his gaze away from Penny to glance around before he returned his gaze to her.

'Recognise the new girl?' the Sheriff asked, noticing.

'She was there when I killed Hood's father and brothers,' Gisborne answered. 'She's the one that ran away. His sister.'

'So nice of you to remember,' Penny hissed scathingly.

'Penelope of Loxley.' The Sheriff chuckled. 'I thought you met your end out there.'

Penny's lips twisted to one side. 'I prefer Penny Hood, if you don't mind.'

'Of course,' the Sheriff agreed. Then he spoke only to Gisborne. 'Why aren't they running? Why are they not running? Hood must be in there!'

'John?' Much asked. 'Penny? What now?'

'Bored now,' the Sheriff remarked. 'Kill them!'

'John,' Much repeated. 'Penny. I think we're going to die.'

'A good day,' Little John stated, smearing mud under his eyes.

'What?' Much asked.

'A good day to die,' John stated.

'What?' Much repeated.

'It's a saying, Much,' Penny said.

'I hate sayings,' Much grumbled.

Penny braced herself for arrows to be flying at her, but first arrows flew from behind her and hit the Sheriff's men, killing them dead. Penny, realising what was happening, didn't even bother turning around like Much and Little John did.

'You crossed a line that should never be crossed, Gisborne!' she yelled.

One of the guards dropped dead in front of the Sheriff, as he scabbled around for his tooth, an arrow through his heart.

'What is this?' the Sheriff hissed. 'Hood does _not_ kill!'

Even as he spoke, he knew the answer. They'd killed his father and his brothers and hurt his sister. And now he knew that for sure.

Robin Hood was angry.

'It's a good day…to die!' Much screamed as they all ran down there.

Penny dropped her bow, drew her sword and, along with Robin, Much, Little John and Dqac, ran down, screaming, attacking the guards.

'What is this?' the Sheriff screamed as she efficiently slit the throat of one of the guards. 'Is this suicide?'

_No._ Penny thought wryly as she slammed two guards into separate trees. _This is insanity! Sort of like our current love triangle situation._

'Where've you been?' Little John asked.

'Uh…' Allan started trying to make up an excuse.

Will was far more honest. 'We were going to Scarborough.'

Penny raised her eyebrows and glanced down at Robin who was sitting at her feet.

'Yeah,' Allan muttered. 'We came back though. What can I say?'

'Sorry,' Will said.

'Yeah,' Allan agreed.

The group remained sombre.

'What?' Allan asked. 'We said "sorry".'

'Marian,' Much stated. 'Gisborne stabbed Marian last night.'

'And now she's…' Penny trailed off, unsure if Robin would be able to bear even hearing the words.

'She's dead,' he finished for her, letting her know he could. 'Marian's dead.'

'Oi!' Myra yelled and they all looked up. 'She's started breathin'!'

Robin was on his feet in an instant and sprinting up to the cave, Penny hot on his heels and his gang hot on her heels.

'On the blade.' Dqac smiled. 'She is breathing.'

'What?' Much asked.

'Physicians draught,' Dqac stated. 'I have heard of this. Hemlock. Too much and the body freezes. The breathing stops. But, if the body is young and strong, the body fights back. Comes back from the dead.'

'She died,' Allan pointed out.

'And came back.' Dqac laughed.

Robin moved and cupped her face again and everyone else moved back, but stayed close enough to see.

'Marian?' Robin asked. 'Marian?'

Her eyelids fluttered open and she looked right at Robin, confusion clouding her face.

'Where have I been?' she asked.

'I don't know,' Robin responded. 'But I'm glad you're back.'

Everyone was either smiling, or chuckling quietly, in relief. Marian was alive.


	4. Robin's ire

**Chapter 4: Robin's ire**

Sir Edward of Knighton was restless, almost sick with worry. Marian still wasn't home. She hadn't been all night. He was convinced something had happened to her as the Nightwatchman.

He opened the front door and stepped out again. But this time he saw something. The young maiden that was presumed dead, Penelope of Loxley. She was wearing a travelling cloak and looked exactly as Edward remembered, only a few years older and her face was harder—more careworn—and she was walking with a redheaded girl of about the same age.

'Sir Edward,' she greeted, stopping before him. 'We've no time for an explanation to my continued existence. Last night Gisborne stabbed Marian. My brother and his men are bringing her here now, but they had to take care of her before they moved her, which is why it has taken all night.'

Edward's stomach dropped. 'Is she all right?' he asked, anxiously.

'She will be,' the girl with Penny answered in a Scottish accent. 'She just needs tae rest. I will take care of 'er until she can walk around. Gisborne never saw me. He don't know whose side I am on.'

Edward glanced at Penny, who was smirking at the redhead.

'Oh, so that's why you didn't join us in the fight.'

'Ay.' The redhead smiled.

Little John laid Marian on her bed and Dqac pulled the covers up over her. Robin stood at the end of the bed, staring down at Marian, and Penny stood beside her brother, watching him with concern. Then Edward _had_ to ask if Robin would accompany them in protecting the King. Myra, who was leaning against the window sill, rolled her eyes, then she looked out.

'Uh oh,' she suddenly said.

'What does "uh oh" mean?' Penny asked.

'Gisborne's here.'

Myra listened along with Penny, her brother and his gang.

'She is indisposed,' Edward stated.

'Indisposed?' Gisborne asked.

'Sleeping,' Edward clarified.

'At this hour?' Gisborne asked doubtfully.

'She had an accident,' Edward lied. 'A fall in the forest. I don't know.'

'She's not here,' Gisborne stated.

Myra heard Penny's teeth snap together at the assumption. Marian was Penny's best friend, practically her sister. In fact, she almost was her sister until Robin had his "stupid male moment" as Penny and Myra called it.

'No, she is,' Edward hastily corrected him.

'Do not lie to me!' Gisborne stated, pushing past him.

'I am not lying, Sir Guy!' Edward insisted following.

Myra had never tossed her mace to someone so quickly in her life. Nor had she seen seven individuals dive for hiding spots so quickly.

Robin jumped up and into the bed curtains above the bed, Penny caught the mace and swung up onto the rafters and out of sight, unless you were looking for her. Little John dived under the bed and Dqac hid in the chest, Will dived into Marian's wardrobe, Allan jumped out the window and Much ducked behind the door as Gisborne shoved it open.

Myra twisted around and perched her hands on her hips.

'I _told_ Sir Edward not to let anyone up 'ere!' she snapped. 'Who exactly 'r ye?'

'Sir Guy of Gisborne,' he snapped. 'Lord of Locksley. You don't tell me what to do; I tell you what to do.'

_Yeah._ Myra thought scathingly. _Only because this country is being choked to death and the true Lord of Loxley is outlawed because he's trying to save it._

'Not when it comes tae medicine.' Myra folded her arms across her chest. 'I am a midwif'. Ye prob'ly don't know th' difference between a hernia an' an appendix.'

Gisborne glared at her, then glanced over her shoulder at Marian. 'She looks pale.'

'Really?' Myra remarked bitingly. 'Ye think? Okay, I can see we're not goin' tae agree. Let's do this then: ye leave now; I'll leave when she's back on 'er feet.'

Gisborne studied her. 'I haven't seen you around here.'

'I ain't from around 'ere,' Myra responded. 'I'm a travellin' midwif'.'

That was her excuse and the coarse grammar was too perfect for backing it up. Gisborne turned and walked over to Edward to speak with him. Myra tipped her head back and frowned. He knew something she didn't know and she couldn't let that sit.

Marian weakly opened her eyes and saw Robin hiding on the bed curtains above her bed. _Interesting hiding place. _No one could say he wasn't original. She soon registered the reason behind him hiding.

Guy was talking to her father. He was saying he'd fetch a physician. She looked up and watched him leave. Penny's friend, Myra, was standing in front of her bed watching Gisborne go. The outlaws and Penny all slipped out of their hiding places.

'"I will fetch a physician",' Much fumed. 'He just killed one. He is disgusting!'

'He killed one?' Marian asked.

'Pitts,' Penny agreed.

'We thought he would denounce Gisborne, but he was a traitor,' Much went on. 'I am glad he is dead.'

'I'll be back,' Myra stated, taking her mace from Penny.

'He knows something you do not know, doesn't he?' Penny asked.

'Ay,' Myra agreed, walking out the door.

Marian remembered Penny saying Myra was very good at getting information. She looked at Robin as he promised her he would find a way to denounce Gisborne. But her father, upon finding out Robin had no ideas, told him he would not allow Robin to give Marian false hope. Robin looked him right in the eyes and Marian saw the weight of the world in his eyes even if they were not directed at her.

'I am sick of doing the right thing!' Robin stated, before storming out.

Marian felt her heart break as she watched him go and felt a longing for the old days when there was no Gisborne, no Sheriff Vaisey of Nottingham and no tyranny over England. When she and Robin would just lay together, taking joy in only the mere presence of the other. When Penny would sneak after them and watch them kiss and lay in each others arms and they would pretend they didn't know she was there until one of them "discovered" her and spent the rest of the day playing with her. When all she needed to do to comfort him was place her hand on his cheek and peck him on the lips then move into his arms. She could see the nostalgia for the same times in Penny's eyes before she turned her back and crossed over to the window, no doubt to watch her older brother walk out of Knighton Hall and into the forest.

'Shouldn't one of us…?' Much began.

'Give him time,' Penny cut him off. 'No upset intended, but Gisborne did not kill Marian. If he had…then we would have to worry.'

And Marian knew she was right.


	5. The Ring

**Chapter 5: The Ring**

'The Nightwatchman?' Robin asked Marian.

She calmed herself and turned around. 'The time for childish games is over. It is time to grow up and we must both accept our lot in life.'

'Okay.' He turned away from the fire and walked past her.

'What?' she asked.

'You said "grow up", I'm growing up.'

He walked out. She closed her eyes, feeling the tears stinging.

'He's hurting, you know.' Penny came down the stairs.

Marian sat in the chair by the fire. 'I know. But I can't do anything about it.'

'You do still love my brother,' Penny stated.

'I hope I do not give that impression,' Marian evaded.

'You hide it fairly well, Marian,' Penny told her. 'But I know you as I know Robin. I spied on you, as you will remember. You still have the same look in your eyes when you gaze at the other's face as you did back then. You two still love each other.'

'He left me,' Marian murmured. 'He left me for war.'

'And he has admitted it was a mistake,' Penny agreed. 'That he should never have gone. You are older than me, Marian, more experienced. Tell me that I do not really have to explain it to you, do I?'

'Explain what?' Marian asked, looking at her, completely confused.

'It appears I do.' Penny sighed. 'If history has taught us anything, it is that many men ruin their own lives by searching for the glory of war. Never finding it, but returning afterwards to find they have ruined their own lives perfectly. Very few ever fix the relationships they shatter in the name of battlefield glory. It is helpful, however, if the people hurt by their departure understand why they left in the first place. Myra helped me understand. I hope you will too.'

Penny watched as Marian paused following her speech and then nodded.

'I still have to marry Guy,' she stated. 'Wait.'

Penny waited as Marian ran up the stairs and into her room and returned a few moments later. A ring hung on a cord around her neck; a ring with a pure gold band and a sapphire in front. It was a ring that Penny recognised.

'Isn't that…?' she began.

'The engagement ring that Robin gave me,' Marian agreed. 'I want you to do something for me. Tell him I will be wearing it around my neck for the rest of my life and that I still love him and I always will. And give him this.'

She handed Penny yet another ring on a cord. This ring had a silver band and an opal in front.

'That was my mother's favourite ring,' Marian explained. 'I was wearing it around my neck the day Robin and I first met. He knows how important it is to me.'

Penny nodded and ran out the door, looking for her brother.

Robin sat up again. He heard a lighter set of feet coming.

'That was not nice, Robin,' Penny reprimanded, sitting next to him. 'Much was only trying to help take your mind off it.'

He didn't answer, trying to ignore her.

'You won't get rid of me, big brother,' Penny told him. 'I have waited five—almost six—years to see you again and the only way I will ever let you go is if Marian's dead and you are following.'

Robin finally looked over at her, knowing she was serious. She was fiddling with something small.

'Incidentally, Marian wanted me to give you this.' She raised her hand and waited until he held his hand out, then dropped it into his palm.

He looked at it and stared for a moment. Then he looked up at Penny.

'She said she's going to wear your engagement ring around her neck for the rest of her life when she gave me that,' Penny explained. 'She also told me to tell you she still loves you and that she will for the rest of her life.'

Robin stared down at the ring and felt the tears welling up, but he had no desire to suppress them. Beside him Penny stood up and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

'I'll leave you be for a bit, Robin,' She told him. 'Do not try to leave me. Myra can find anyone. Even you.' She turned and left him.

Myra caught Penny just outside of Loxley. 'The King is not the King!' She didn't waste any time. 'He is an impostor!'

'What?' Penny asked, her face creasing in disbelief.

'I was on horseback!' Myra panted. 'They knocked Much out of the way. Robin was trusted by the King, was he not? So would they not know who his manservant was?'

'Make sure my brother is within earshot, Myra,' Penny told her as she saw Much sprinting towards the church. 'I've a wedding to stop.'

'So, Gisborne, why exactly did the Sheriff organise an impostor King?'

Marian looked and saw Penny standing to the side of the church, leaning casually against the wall, having slipped in when they dragged Much out.

'You're Hood's sister,' he stated, confirming her statement and making Marian's gut drop. 'Why should I tell you?'

All present stared at Penny. Some in recognition, some in awe, some in both.

'Is that a confession?' Penny asked, raising her eyebrows. Then she shifted her gaze to the guards. 'Is forcefully removing one from a church for voicing a statement of fact not immoral?' she asked pointedly, 'Especially where women are concerned?'

The guards backed off.

'No matter.' Penny shrugged. 'The answer is obvious: the Sheriff wants to seek out all his opposers and rid himself of them.' She looked right at Marian. 'I thought you had the right to know the truth. The way I understood it, this wedding was not to happen until the King returned. The King has not returned yet. Good day.'

She turned and walked out. Marian looked down at the ring Gisborne was placing on her finger.

'You won't regret your decision, I assure you,' he told her.

Marian felt Robin's ring against her chest and realised that she had a choice and it didn't matter anymore. Her heart belonged to Robin. It had ever since they'd met. She removed the ring from her left hand and placed it on her right.

'No,' the priest told her. 'Left. The ring must go on the left hand.'

'No.' Marian tore the veil off. 'The right is better.'

That said, she punched Gisborne in the face, throwing all her weight behind it. He hit the floor and she ran, dropping the ring as she went. She ran out of the church and saw Robin, riding towards her.

'Do you take this man and this horse as your route out of here?' he called to her.

'I do!' she called back, beaming.

Myra rode around and Penny had helped Much out of the river and they both mounted their own horses.

'Robin, the King in Nottingham is an impostor!' Penny called to him. 'That's what Gisborne knew!'

'A trap,' Robin realised. 'I knew it!'

'Robin, my father…' Marian gripped his hand. 'He leads the rebellion.'

Robin reached down and pulled her up onto his horse behind him and rode towards Nottingham, with Penny, Myra and Much riding behind. Marian threw her veil away joyously, then wrapped her arms fully around Robin's waist and pressed herself against him in relief. She could almost hear him grinning as they rode.


	6. Recruited

**Chapter 6: Recruited**

'We can't be seen together,' Robin said.

'We'll never get in anyway,' Much stated.

'Yes, we will,' Penny argued. 'The Sheriff needs this to look authentic. He won't have every entry guarded.'

'I'll try the east gate,' Marian stated.

'And we'll try the west,' Robin agreed.

Marian dismounted and Robin, Much, Penny and Myra rode off. She started to run to the east gate.

'Marian!' Robin's voice stopped her in her tracks.

She turned and saw him ride back and ran over to him. 'Robin!' she called.

He leaned down and cupped her head. She leaned up and they kissed. It was just as she remembered it as she poured all her love for him into the kiss and she felt him do the same as she gripped his arm and he gripped her head. She wanted to kiss him forever. But they both knew they both had to go and they broke the kiss.

Robin sat back up and turned the horse around before following Penny, Myra and Much, grinning the whole time. Marian couldn't stop grinning if she tried as she watched her love go and then went herself.

She had to save her father.

'Climbing,' Much stated as Robin prepared to shoot the arrow. 'Master, you know I hate climbing.'

'Any other ideas for getting up there?' Penny asked him. 'Because we're all ears.'

'No,' Much answered.

'Then don't complain,' Myra told him.

Robin shot the arrow.

'Do you wish to give evidence against the Sheriff?' the scribe asked.

An arrow suddenly shot into the table and the scribe raised his head to reveal himself as the Sheriff. Robin Hood laughed.

'A clue: no!' he stated.

Then he ran out and ushered Edward and Penny out. Much had run ahead to expose the fake King.

Robin fired the arrow and it ricocheted off several surfaces before it hit the Sheriff's sandal. Marian had come in and stopped by her father in the meantime. Then a troop of guards came in and Robin's gang threw a curtain around them and Penny and Myra tied the other end of the rope around them. Little John pushed them over, causing the leverage and causing the Sheriff to flip up and be suspended from the ceiling of his own court. Penny and Myra laughed in delight.

'I think we can safely say…' Robin grinned, '…an audience with the king has been _suspended_!'

Penny sniggered.

'Come on, lads.' Robin winked at Marian. 'Let's go home.'

Marian just grinned.

'Penny. Myra,' Robin turned around and addressed them. 'These are yours.' He dropped the wooden dog tags into their hands. 'Anyone who wears one of these is one of my gang.' He told them.

Penny and Myra grinned at him.


End file.
